school visits
Malvern’s MYP eAssessments We visit Malvern College Hong Kong
Personal Portfolio presentation
Malvern College Hong Kong (MCHK) is an IB World School located in Pak Shek Kok, New Territories, just adjacent to the Hong Kong Science Park. Following its successful launch in August 2018, the school continues to execute its ambitious growth strategy after having received the IB PYP, MYP and DP accreditation in the academic year 2020/21. With the primary and secondary classes now operating from Prep 1 (Year 1) to Lower Sixth (Year 12), the first cohort of Sixth Form pupils has commenced the two-year Diploma Programme in August 2021 and will sit for their final exams in Upper Sixth (Year 13) in May 2023 - culminating in the highly regarded IB Diploma, arguably one of the most admired high school qualifications worldwide. A little less known is the IB’s middle years education qualification: the MYP eAssessment, launched by 62
Hong Kong Schools Guide
the IB Organisation in 2016 as a leading innovation in the education sector, which can be obtained in Year 11 (or “Hundred” in Malvern language), the final MYP year. Aligned with today’s digital learning environment, it provides a relevant assessment experience for pupils while offering IB practitioners valuable insights into the Middle Years’ learning and teaching. The results, externally verified by the IB, serve as an alternative to state or national examinations and support applications for post16 education. “The MYP eAssessments are not only rigorous and internationally standardised assessments that allow for external validation of school results, they also give pupils, parents and teachers an insight into future studies in the Diploma. The pupils’ experiences and achievements in the assessments also enable
a more informed pathway for the Diploma Programme and further education,” says Mr Wayne Maher, Acting Deputy Head and Head of Secondary. MCHK recognises the importance of equipping Year 11 pupils with an externally standardized middle years certificate while embracing the modern, flexible and innovative nature of the MYP eAssessment. The transdisciplinary Personal Project serves as milestone performance where pupils investigate and present an area of their personal interest; the ePortfolio is an assisted performance, marked by classroom teachers, where pupils demonstrate their knowledge and skills across a range of subject groups; lastly, individual performance is measured in the externally assessed online exams. Being one out of only two schools in Hong Kong offering the eAssessment, MCHK saw in May 2021 the first (and entire!) cohort of Year 11 pupils sit the exams - with stellar results and a 100% pass rate. Feedback provided by Malvern pupils shows that the eAssessment is indeed an ideal preparation for the final two school years as the required study, organisation and critical thinking skills mirror those for the Diploma. “The eAssessment is really quite different from traditional,
